The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1887-12-08
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BUnL-FROGS AND SNAILS.
Two Profitable Additions to the Pro-
50 ducts OF American Farma.

/, There arc two new additions to the
list OF profitable products Of the farm
which promise to lind employment for
many farmers who have the requisite
facilities. These are duo to foreign no.
tions and tastes imported chiefly from
France and Germany along with the
numerous adopted citiZens who hail
from those European shores. One Is
the grcnoMi!e, SO called by the French,
who esteem it as q choice article. for
the exercise Of culinary skill. 1t is now
served up 1T tho first hotels and lestau-
rants in the large cities, New York
Especially, and appears in the markets
as q regular article OF sale. The ami
mal'is easily bred andreared, and feeds
itself and thr1yes most abundantly in
marshes. The other is called escaYUot,
land is used for making Stews and soups.
: but is eaten also boiled and roasted,
This animal is also easily reared, and
requires no feeding, but does better
when a pasture is provided for IT.,
known in common parlance, the first
as the frog and the other as the snail.
these readily acclimated animals have
never until now been considered as OF
any value, but no doubt hereafter will
furnish special business here, as thcy
have uOne for many years in Europe,
to thousands of farmers.
The French frog farm Is much like
one OF our cranberry meadows--a swamp
laid ont in broad bitches with grassy
banks between them. We remember
years ago passing one Of these farms in
the vicinity of a largo French city in
!thc early evening, and being drawn to
notice it by the deafening music from
the thousands Of fat fellows sitting i'm
the damp grass and now and then
lsplashing into the bitches dnd continu1
ling to sing their lays as they protrudcd
Irhcir snontS Just above the surface Of
the water. These frogs were u special
breed, Reno esculentG by name, but DIFF
iferlng very little from our handsome,
slender specimen found in marshes,
jand having bright green and brown
Iapottcd skin. Our common bullrrog is
said to be quito rs delicate in favor
and moro acceptable in point OF meat
than. thn esculent species OF Europe !.
and as thenatural stock Of them is fast
disappearing before the nets of the
hunters thousands are now imported
from Canada for the supply Of the New
York market Consequently the time
has come for the skilled culture Of
them in connection with other aquatic
products, as brook trout, carp, bass,
and other fish, OF water cresS, which
can be grown conjnnotiYely,a q and are
very profitable.
The ,escnlent snail Is ofyarlouskinds:
ono inhabits damp meadows and is
fed upon lettuce. Indeed, there are
several varieties Of these, Judging from
The character Of their SHELLS, which in
habit fresh water, or rathersthe banks
of fresh water streams,f and the low
greasy meadows adjoining. AT least
one kind is u deni2en of the salt water.
and is found in, the mud Of tidal.
estuarics, and as the periwlnkle. - is
largely consumed by Europeans and
even by the English people. Thislatter
species Is boiled in salt water, and as
tile small, spiral.slaped animal Is dawn
from its she'll usually by means Of a
strong pin, the common name Of It is
the "pinpatch.n An escarGerte is quite
n we'll conducted establishment In
France, and is always surrounded by
q close, safe fence to keep the stock
from wandering abroad and getting
lost. It Is commonly sown with clover,
lettuce, rape, and other tender herb.
age, upon which the snails feed, and is
laid out with narrow paths for ease in
gathering the dailyaupply which Is sent
to market.